Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton makes a statement regarding the death of Osama bin Laden. Photo: AP

WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that Osama bin Laden’s death delivered a message to terrorist groups that they cannot defeat the United States.

“You cannot wait us out, you cannot defeat us, but you can make the choice to abandon al Qaeda and participate in a peaceful political process,” Clinton said at the State Department.

Clinton said the US must seize on the death of the terrorist leader to “renew our resolve and redouble our efforts.”

“Continued cooperation will be just as important in the days ahead, because even as we mark this milestone, we should not forget that the battle to stop al Qaeda and its syndicate of terror will not end with the death of bin Laden,” she said.

Clinton noted that the timing of bin Laden’s death coincided with the eruption of democracy movements across the Middle East.

“At a time when the people across the Middle East and North Africa are rejecting the extremist narratives and charting a path of peaceful progress, based on universal rights and aspirations, there is no better rebuke to al Qaeda and its heinous ideology.”